MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

CEEX - CERES

Module I: Complex Research & Development Projects

Thematic fields: Physics, Materials, Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies

NEW OXIDE SEMICONDUCTING NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS WITH POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN SOLID STATE SENSORS FOR GAS AND VAPORS DETECTION,USED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Contract No. 51 / 01.08.2006

Project Consortium

• CO - National Institute of Research & Development for Technical Physics, Iasi

• P1  - “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Iasi  

• P2  - National Institute of Research & Development for Electrical Engineering, Bucharest

• P3  - "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi

• P4  - "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University, Iasi

Type of project: P-CD

Director of project: Prof. Dr. Nicolae REZLESCU

Budget: 1.450.000 lei

Objectives of the project:

• the main objective of the project is to obtain nanometric oxide semiconducting  materials with some additives or substitutions, with sensitivity and selectivity to gases and vapors as high as possible, for monitoring the environment quality;

• utilization of new techniques for materials preparation or improvement of actual techniques;

• investigation of electrical, magnetic and structural properties of these materials;

• study of relationship between physical properties of these materials and their sensitivity to gases and vapors from atmosphere;

• study of physics phenomena which take place in these materials during their exposure to gases or vapors.

Working phases, activities and deadlines

Phase I: The analysis of the information published in the literature regarding the subject of this project. The fabrication, evaluation and adaptability of the laboratory equipment for obtaining and characterization of the materials; Deadline: 15.12.2006

Activity I.1: The analysis and synthesis of the recent information concerning the semiconductor materials with possible applications in achieving the solid state sensors for gases and vapors

Activity I.2: The evaluation, adaptation and achievement of the of the laboratory equipments for preparation and characterization of the materials in order to investigate the semiconductor materials for development of gas and vapor sensors in solid state

Activity I.3: Studies regarding the improvement of a new preparation technique, sol-gel-selfcombustion, for obtaining magnetic oxide materials with particles of nanometric sizes

Phase II: The investigations concerning the realization of new nanostructure oxide semiconducting materials for making the gas or vapor sensors used in the environment protection; Deadline: 15.05.2007

Activity II.1: The preparation by sol-gel-selfcombustion method of some oxide magnetic materials having spinel or perovskit structure and nanosized particles

Activity II.2: The preparation of thin films from nanosized particles of some oxide semiconductors, such as SnO₂, CdO, Bi₂O₃, ZnO type  

Activity II.3: The preparation of the organic semiconductors for possible applications as gas sensors

Phase III: The study of the electrical properties and structure of the materials obtained in previous phase; Deadline: 30.09.2007

Activity III.1: Researches concerning the structure and the electronic transport properties of the nanostructurated magnetic oxide semiconductor materials and the organic semiconductors obtained in laboratory

Activity III.2: SEM investigations of structures for all materials obtained and electrical measurements (Seebeck effect) for nanostructured magnetic oxide semiconductors with spinel structure

Activity III.3:  X-ray difraction procedure, scanning electronic microscopy and atomic force microscopy on the materials obtained in phase II.

Phase IV: Study on the sensitivity to gases or vapors of the prepared materials in precedent phases; Deadline: 15.12.2007

Activity IV.1: Researches concerning the sensitivity to gases and vapors of nanostructured oxide semiconductor and organic semiconductor materials

Activity IV.2: Researches concerning the sensitivity to gases and vapors of thin films from nanostructured oxide semiconductors  

Phase V: Researches concerning the improvement of the sensitivity to gases or vapors of the nanostructured oxide semiconductor materials; Deadline: 15.07.2008

Activity V.1: Modifications of chemical initial compositions using different ionic additions and ionic substitutions or by different thermal treatments in the order to improve the properties of interest.

Activity V.2: The application of specific thermal treatments (time, temperature, atmosphere) in order to obtain of adequate structure for improvement of gas sensitivity and selectivity of the thin films obtained from oxide semiconducting materials

Activity V.3: The electrical, magnetic and structural measurements on the materials with improved properties in order to use them as gas and humidity sensors

Phase VI: Realization and assimilation in our laboratory of some elements of the gas and/or vapor sensors from semiconducting materials obtained in previous stages. The analysis of the obtained results and their dissemination; Deadline: 30.11.2008

Activity VI.1: The investigation of the sensing characteristics (sensitivity, selectivity, stability, reproducibility) of sensor elements  prepared from semiconductor materials obtained in the precedent phase, having the best sensitivity

Activity VI.2: The realization and internal homologation of two experimental models of gas or vapor sensors   

Activity VI.3: Analysis of the obtained results and their dissemination

Estimated results of the project

• To obtain nanostructured oxide semiconductor thin films, bulk magnetic oxide semiconductors and bulk organic semiconductors, having improved sensitivity to some polluting gases and vapor from atmosphere.

• To improve the sensitivity to gasses or vapor of these materials by additives or substitutions of different components in contrast with components of original composition.

• To improve the preparation methods of semiconducting materials with high sensitivity to gases or vapor.

• Experimental models for gas and vapor sensors.

• Internal laboratory homologation of at least two sensor models: one for gases and one for vapors.

• To obtain at least two patents resulting from performed researches.

• WEB page containing the results of the project.

• CD-ROM containing the presentation of the obtained scientific results.

• Communication of the results at national and international conferences (at least 6 communications).

• Organization of a scientific seminar at the headquarters of the project co-ordinator, where each partner will present its own results.

• Published papers  (at least 8 papers, out of which at least 4 in ISI quoted journals).